Labyrinth gland construction



' Oct. 30, 1928.

1,689,735 F. LOSEL V LABYRINT H GLAND CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 15, 1924 fl. I

' V C i 75 v W//V {l d 1' 5/; y) 7Q J fi P Z jQ/g'k mviaN'r'oR fiamd'se/ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 3051928 UNITEDST'ATES V "1,689,135 PAT-ENTsDFFICE.

rmnz' Leann, or 1mm, .czncfiosnovsxri r nanrnnvrn GLAND con'srnuc'rxon;

Application filed August 15,1924, Serial This inventionrelates .to novel method and gland construction and arrangement for l the high pressureefluid and the seal is substantially unaffected during long continued wear ,andoperation. To these ends I int-erpose in the path of thehigh pressure fluid a multiplicity of small expansion chambers separated by stillsmaller alternating fixed and pressure variable" throttling clearances. More particularly I- have devised a labyrinth gland construction so as to form relatively long side clearances such that the steampressure upon one sidepf the gland elements functions to reduce the side clearances substantially on the opposite sides of these elements,

. thereby tending to throttle and form 'a more effective seal against the high pressure steam.

Preferably the construction and arrangement are such that certain of the peripheral or radial and the side of axial clearances are automatically reduced by the steam pressure v i so as .to form a series of double throttling points. of pressure variable dimensions throughout, the length of the. gland assembly;

while other radial clearances are fixed.

'Other novel features ofthe gland rreside in the simple construction and easy assembly of the elements entering into the labyrinth i assembly.

For a better understanding of the invention including the above indicated novel features of construction and operation and others 40 which will hereinafter appear, reference may,

he had to the accompanying drawingsiform ingf part of this application wherein: a ig. 1 is a sectional view through one section of a gland cdnstructio'niembody-ing my invention;

: Fig. 2.is a similar view" ficatio'n; "Fig. 3 is a similar viewof afurther modification, and

Fig. 4 is asimilar view of a still further modification. 1 The particular embodiment herein exhibited showsfmy inventionembodied inan axiallydis osed gland but it is'also appliat cable to re ially disposed glands. Referring ".to Fig. 1 I have i- ,ustrated aportionof a of a slight modig between .the closely arranged rings. This is No. vaaaoc, and in Austria qctoberIii-1923.

' high pressure'elastic fluid machine such as a steam turbine embodying a shaft a'fand a gland housing or casingj of conventional and usual form. The ho'using.;j carries axially divided-box rings (Lthe method of attachment of these members being in'any suitable manner, as for example by means of the dove tail slot or groove connections indicated. The rings (1 arefprov'ided with a series of rigid ring ribs e, the latter being of wedgeffromthe right hngle position as indicated. Directly surrounding the shaft (1 and rotating therewith are assembled a plurality of elastic rings 0 preferably ofa rustless material, the latter fingshaving their inner portion'sfirmly gripped and anchored-between the tightening and holding rings Z *Therings 12 are of just sufficient depth to leave small radial clearances between their outer peripheries and the-inner peripheries of thering ribs 6 andthe elastic rings 0 have their outer portions c dispo'sed in parallel relation to the -ribs 6 and forming with the rings 03 small clearances f. Each ring 0' is arranged closely adjacent the immediately following rib e so that in additio to the small clearances-f and f disposed res iectively at the outer edges of the elastic rings 0 and the, inner edges or peripheries of the ribs 6 there are side or axial clearances g of relatively small dimensions between the closely adjacent ribs e and theqrings 0 and on the opposite sides of the. rings a from the direction of application of steam pressure. The rings a .(c) therefore divide the spaces between the ribs e unequally so as to form expansion chambers Lof relative- 1y large dimensions followed by the-throttle. chambers orclearances 'g of very small and g5 relatively long dimensions. The steam enter ing from the right is forced to follow a zigzag path as follows: outwardly in the expansion chambers-L, through the radial clear ances f, inwardly throughthe axial clear: ances g and through the radial clearances f, thence to the expansionchambers. These. elements do not ordinarily touch under.

service conditions, but the pressure of the s w 105 driving fluid, indicated'by the arrow p which is applied 'as indicated from thefright .,;in a Fig. 1, tends to automatically diminish both the throttle clearances 7? about the peripheries of the rings c and the sidejor. axial .clearances of the rings c. The

fldue to the slightelasticit'y'l h l d e'per1p 'erae ge's wearing, therefore, of t shape form and being inclined toward the left lie of the rings a does not impair the gland seal since the series of small side or axial clear ances 9 still remain effective during long tween the adjacent rotating gland bafile rings a and stationary gland bafile rings e and the.

small outer and inner radial clearances f, f, and due to the relatively high counteracting forces obtained by rotating the gland baffle rings closely adjacent the side walls of the stationary gland baflle rings e and the closing efl'ect. Also, dueto the closing effect of the longclearances 9 obtained by increase in pressure and deformation of the elactic gland ring portions 0', the counteracting centrifugal forces in the small and long clearances g are fully utilized to obtain a good sealing effect,

and such clearances 9 act therefore as combincd throttle clearances, variable under pressure, and as friction and counteracting pumping clearances. g i In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 the ring boxes dare carried by the rotating shaft (1 instead of by the housing 7'' and the secursing or anchoring rings 6 are carried by the housmg or turblne casing. In this. m0dl'fi.

cation, as in the modification of Fig. 1,'the ribs 6 are slightly inclined toward the left and the inclined portion 0' of the elactic rings a are arranged closely adjacent to and parallel with the inclined ribs 6. llhis arrangement has the particular advantage over the modification of Fig. 1 that the ring clearances f about the edges of the elastic rings 0 are not only automatically reduced by the application of steam pressure in the direction of the arrow, but they have a smaller diameter than the similar clearances in Fig. 1 with the consequent reduction of steam leakage.

The modification exhibited in Fig. 3 is similar to the modification in Fig. 1, but differs therefrom in that the gland rigid ribs 6 are not disposed in a parallel position with reference' to the inclined portions 0' of the elastic rings, but on the contrary are indicated as inclined slightly in "the opposite direction. The axial clearances g are automatically reduced by the bending of the elastic portion 0,

of the rings 0 in the manner of the similar modes of operation of the Figs. land 2. and

similarly the steam pressure entering from 7 the righttends to .rediice the radial clearances fabout the outer edges of the rings 0. In some instances itmaybe desirable to form the ribs 0 so as to have a slight elasticity, and in that event this modification would afford the additional advantage of having the clearances f also reducible by the application of steam pressure from the right.

The modification exhibited in Fig. 4 is similar to the modification in Fig. 3 but in this case certain of the ribs 0' are replaced by the elastic rings In, the lat-ter being firmly secured and anchored to the housing 7' by means of suitable tightening rings b. The elastic rings k are formed similarly to the elastic rings 0 and have their elastic or free inner edges given a slight inclination opposed .to the inclination ofthe rings e. Accordingv to this arrangement, therefore, all the clear-v ances, f, f, and g are automatically reduced.

upon the application of' steam pressure from the right, thereby obtaining a treble automatic seal at each gland clementv followed by an expansion chamber.

In all the modifications there are indicated amultiplicity of these gland elements and the number of them may be varied to suit the particular requirements depending upon pressure and the capacity of the turbine or other rotating machine of high pressure to which the invention is to be applied. It is preferable to make the gland elements, especially the rings a and 7c, of rust proof material.

The invention is applicable to all types of apparatus requiring glands of this general type, such as blowers, compressors, pumps and turbines, but especially high pressure machines of the elastic fluid type such as high pressure steam turbines.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: i

A gland construction for rotating shafts comprising a set ofgland rings axially spaced to form a succession of chambers and a second set of gland rings projecting into and dividing said chambers unequally, each ring of the second set normally lying more closely adjacent to one of a pair of gland rings of the first set defining a specific chamtherewith an elongated narrowed axial throttling clearance on one side with a comparatively larger non-throttling. clearance on the other side. the set of said gland rings which is disposed on the higher pressure side of such FRANZ LosEL.

I her than the other of said rings to form 

